Communicator settings through MSX?

[roiegat]

So I just got the latest version of Communicator from Microsoft and management wants me to deploy it but change two settings:
-disable annoying popup when people log in
-disable save conversation and ask to save.

I found the first one is in the normal prefrence file called HideContactOnlineToasts (odd huh?). The second is in the ByHost file using a huge key like in windows. I found the following article:

http://mac2.microsoft.com/help/office/14/en-us/deploy/item/c9e35cc1-30c6-4fc8-bfda-ebb2378ab0d5

But that might only help me with the second issue, but not the first. So I was looking at the managed templates hoping commuuncator would be there, they have all other microsoft apps but communicator.

Has anyone managed to get a MSX for communicator?

[talkingmoose]

I'll be going down this road in a few weeks. I believe these are the two keys you're needing are:

<key>HideContactOnlineToasts</key>
<true/>

<key>DisallowSave</key>
<true/>

[roiegat]

Which Plist should I modify for these settings?

I would think /Library/Preferences/MicrosoftCommunicatorRegistrationDB.plist would work best, or are you refering to the com.microsoft.communicator.plist in the users folder. If it's the latter, I'll need to create a custom MSX (haven't done one before).

Will test today and let you know. Thanks.

[talkingmoose]

Sorry about that. I was referring to the com.microsoft.communicator domain. I would choose to manage the two settings as "User Level At Next Login Only" unless you have some security issues that require these to be set as "User Level Enforced". I'm in the camp that user preferences are their own and should be lightly touched.

I'd manage server address and other settings that should be enforced in the MicrosoftCommunicatorRegistrationDB domain using "System Level Enforced".

My method for finding keys is pretty simple. I use BBEdit (or TextWrangler, which is free) to open the .plist file and copy its entire contents to a new document window. I then close the .plist file, make my change, open the .plist file again and use the Compare Two Front Documents menu command to find the changes between the before and after .plists. Most of the time the .plist files are pretty easy to spot because of their names.